DIY Mixing Desk?
I am in the process of building a mixing station for my home music room. In addition to my trusty GNX4, I have a new Zoom HD16CD recorder which I am using to record our live gigs using the 8 track mode. Now I have to remix the 8 tracks and come up with some good demos for the band. I have ordered some books on my software and audio enginnering to jump start my project. I'll probably be ordering the Behringer Truth B2031P speakers real soon. So the next item on my list is to make a desk or workstation for all my equipment.
Currently I envision having my computer and monitor, piano keyboard, GNX4, Zoom HD16CD, and studio monitors all on the work space. I would also need a built in rack to mount equipment (amp, processors, etc.). I am wondering if anyone has already built a good work station like I would need, or knows of where I can see some DIY plans. I hate to reinvent the wheel. So if anyone has some suggestions or plans to share, I thank you in advance.
I am not opposed to buying a workstation if the price is within my budget. However, this is one project that I think may be a better DIY type to save both on money and to customize the center for my needs.
Currently I envision having my computer and monitor, piano keyboard, GNX4, Zoom HD16CD, and studio monitors all on the work space. I would also need a built in rack to mount equipment (amp, processors, etc.). I am wondering if anyone has already built a good work station like I would need, or knows of where I can see some DIY plans. I hate to reinvent the wheel. So if anyone has some suggestions or plans to share, I thank you in advance.
I am not opposed to buying a workstation if the price is within my budget. However, this is one project that I think may be a better DIY type to save both on money and to customize the center for my needs.
Comments
I built an 8ft 3/4\" ply desk with 32 rack spaces (16/side) for $140. That included heavy duty brackets for both keyboard and another slider bracket set for pc keyboard and mouse. Plus the stain, sanding pads, hardware. The slider brackets accounted for about 40 bucks. Rack rails I found at a local music store for $5 ea. Took 2 8' sheets of plywood and the store made all the cuts for $6. Some of the cuts were odd angles, but the guy thought the project was cool and cut those with a radial arm saw. I used 2x4's around the framing and 1x2's for the desk frame support. For the keyboard parts, I just bought some black veneer particle board. One was about 36\" for the pc kb /mouse, and the other keyboard rack was 4'.
Initially I went with insert casters, but after mounting the gear and those CRT mon's I had the weight just smashed the plastic type. I had to later add 2x4's to the desk bottom to accommodate heavy duty casters. You don't have to have casters, but they are needed if you have to get behind the rig to change a cable or something else. If you build out of plywood or nice solid sheets, get some heavy duty rolling casters (min 100 lbs capacity each)
Since I didn't use the keyboard controller rack as often, I later removed it. I had plenty of desktop space for it, and using the 2d roller bracket shelf made it too low. I didn't think too much about that issue. If you decide to make a double roller bracket system for those things, make sure you add about 8\" to the height of your desktop. The rack hardware will take up about 4\", plus you should go about 6\" if you plan on having a hideaway for a keyboard controller. Figure about 3 to 3-1/2\" for the controller height, plus 3-4\" for the shelf drop down point.
We built another for a friend of mine and he ended up using a 1x8 on the front of his desk so he could accommodate the 2 keyboard rolling shelves. This again increased the desk height requirement by 8\" so instead of a 32\" desk top height (avg) that design went to 40\".
Another way to go is build the basic desk, and then build your upper rack boxes individually so you can always change placement. Mine are fixed positions and accommodate the NFM's on the top of the rack housing shelves.
Allow space for your monitors. At the time, I started with CRT type, but now you can get some nice sized LCD type for the same price as a 13\" CRT. Plus you have other monitor options for mounting either on the wall, horizontal swing arms, or even vertical mount arms (ceiling).
Another friend of mine created a unique design for managing keyboard controllers. His used a pair of shelves that flipped up from the desktop to support a full size midi controller which I thought was a very cool idea. When not in use, they fold down into the desk. All he did was route an area he can grip to pull them up and used locking hinges.
Start out by measuring your desktop gear. Originally, I thought a 6 foot desk would be good until I measured the width of the mixer and the old VS recorder which left me maybe a foot and a half between them. 8' worked much better, plus meant it was easier to cut the pieces down.
You mentioned 4X8 plywood, but what did you actually cut your top main desk down to? I would think that 4' deep on top would be too much. I was thinking cutting down the 4X8 playwood into one piece 30\" deep for the main desktop and the other piece at 18\" for the raised portion where I would put the computer monitor and studio monitors. However, maybe 36\" and 12\" would be better. Any thoughts?
I was thinking keeping the desk 8' long for easy cutting, but don't really need that much room right now. What do you think about having the main desk at 6' and using the extra 2' as a roll away cart built the same height, pattern, etc.. as the main desk. After you mentioned the rollers on the main desk, which I had not considered, I thought of the 6' main desk/2' roll away cart idea.
Also, the \"professional\" desks I can't afford often have a rounded cut-out where you sit. Some desks have that cut-out and others don't. Do you have any preference? I have good sabre saws, so making a cut-out would not be difficult. I'm just wondering if it is worth it or is it more for looks? I would hate to lose desktop space if the cut-out did not offer any advantage(s).
I can't quite picture the fold out shelves your friend built. The idea sounds great. I just don't understand how he made it work. I suppose a picture is worth a thousand words at times....
Thanks for the ideas. I am still working out the rough sketch in my mind but already you have offered suggestions I had not thought of before. Now I will incorporate some of those ideas into my project. As you may know, I live in a relatively small town community and there is not anyone around here that I know of who has a mixing desk. So I am most thankful to you guys for offering suggestions.
A simpler design for the riser would be to run the entire desk length. Then you only need support on the vertical boards that hold the riser in position. When making the riser for supporting rack gear, determine how many spaces you would need. 1 3/4\" for each rack space. So if you went with 2 sets of 12 rack spaces L and R side, that would elevate your riser to 21\" above the desktop which puts Mon's and PC monitor at 21-5/8\" or whatever thickness of plywood is used. 10 rack space would be 17.5\". Just remember the rack width is 19\" inside width.
The fold up/down ears basically he got the idea from his wives sewing machine which is mounted, but flips up for when in use. In this case, the only thing that flips up is part of the desk. It's hinged so when in use it allows a keyboard controller to rest on the supports. When not in use, it sits flush with the desktop with about 1/16\" space all around the area. Basically he cut out sections of the desk IIRC 10\" x 5\" to form the flip up (I call them ears). The cutouts were about 32\" in from both the R and L sides of the desk. When you flip them up and lock them, they support the keyboard or controller 5\" above the desk.
If you really want to get crazy you can build an exact in-set for your mixer. I have seen that too and it really is sweet. Basically you cut out a section so that the top of the mixer controls, sit flush with the desktop.
Those other cutaways on other desks are cosmetic and functional. Cosmetic since those desks have rounded bevels around the desktop usually and functional since the cutaway usually is in an area to house the keyboard and mouse rolling shelf.
You could go 6' or 7' length or any length you need. All I can tell you is that if you have a mixer, and any other hardware you may put on top the desk whether permanent or temporary, you may find that extra 2' desktop space in handy. Sometimes I get cut sheets or sheet music or other things and I need that good 30-36\" of desktop space just for functional purposes considering most PC desks are 40-42\" desktop space. There are days I have a Drum machine, MPD24, small midi controller in use. Those little things can take up space. Even a hardware owners manual or the phone book owners manuals for the VS recorder can eat space.
As for the desk and riser, I was indeed thinking of using the 18\" piece for the riser and running it the entire length. As for the length of the desk, I was thinking of taking the 8' foot design and cutting it into a 6' piece and a 2' piece. Everything would be the same pattern so if I need a full 8', I would just roll up the extra piece and it would match perfectly. The problem I have is trying to fit in a full 8' desk in my music room. When I have all my PA gear in the room between gigs, it can start to get crowded. Having a 6' desk with a 2' rolling extention might be easier to work with. However, building one 8' desk would be easier.
I've got some good ideas now. I have my \"mixing\" books on order and maybe one of them will have more pictures to look at. I still have to order my studio monitors. I think this project will work out. Thanks for the suggestions.
Much of this is very easy to build. If you see something you like, let me know, and I'll help you with any of the construction details, if you want. I was a craftsman/cabinet maker for many years.
I see you are \"hammering out\" many of the details already
I am putting together my own project right now. It's a cabinet makers bench, similar to this one. http://web.hypersurf.com/~charlie2/DasBench/CBbench0.html
I had one of these I made out of maple years ago, and am planning to get back into this more now as a hobby...and pick up with luthier and inlay work again. I have a full basement to set most of my shop up, so I still have a shop space with heat in the cold winters up here. Just need to remember to not build something too big to get out of the shop, like a canoe or something.
My \"music room\" is made out of tongue and groove knotty pine which is stained in a natural color. Maybe instead of a playwood desktop, I could lay down some knotty pine for the desktop and sides to make it look more polished. The only problem I can see with the desktop part would be that the knotty pine tongue and groove wood is not perfectly flat when matched up. Looks great on the walls and ceiling, just don't know it would function well as a desktop. Maybe a stained plywood desktop and just knotty pine for the sides and trim?
But, I get ahead of myself. I am still working out the rough dimensions and the function of the design so it holds all my gear. I agree that building something too big could be a problem. I liked the idea of having an 8' desk to work on, but when I measured the footprint of that in my music room, it sure took up a lot more space than I expect. Which is why now I am leaning toward the 6' plus 2' extention idea. Also, if I built the desk to 8', I don't think I could ever get it out of the room unless I took it apart, or more importantly, I could probably not get it into the music room after I built it and painted/stained it in the garage. But I suppose I could do final assembly in the music room....
Thanks for the links on the pics. Take care.
You will most likely find a cheap table or desk that meets your primary dimensions, right up the road from you, cheaper than you can build yourself. Then simply add a couple shelves, and a drawer or two, etc. to complete your application requirements.
Main thing is you are giving this plenty of fore-thought.
Modifying furniture is pretty rewarding too. You may end up with something better than you are allowing yourself right now.
Thing is...funny as it seems, you can buy a fine table, for less than you can buy a sheet of plywood.
Ok Sorry taus ... I now return you back to your regularly scheduled thread! :P
But that is universal among us males. We are wired with heavy duty cable, built for endurance. Females are wired with thousands of complicated and thin multi-colored wires, which often short out and fry their circuits, and there is no electrical genius on earth who can understand it. It's easier, safer, and more productive, to go build a bomb. With a bomb, if you screw up, you always have a brief moment when you know you've screwed up. Not so with women.
We can come home from a long hard day at work, and feel content to scratch our achy nuts, drink a beer, and watch some sports on TV, on top of a pile of dirty laundry. (snif-scratch, burp)(and we can effortlessly tune out the nag-nag-nag in the background) Benefits of solid basic heavy duty wiring.
The females come home after a long hard day at work, and can not relax until all the chores in the nest are completed. Hundreds of tiny wires tangle, and static builds. (fizzzz-pop) They see you content to ignore the pile you've created on their kitchen counter top (scared alter) and do nothing. (snap-crackle) She may have even asked you to move that crap to the garage..a shed, your buddy's down the street...anywhere but on her kitchen counter top. (bizzzzt-zap!) You probably have no idea of how much danger you are in. (smolder)
You lay on top of a pile of dirty laundry, and draw fly's, and only swat them off, by wiggling your ear. It's 10 o'clock at night now, and the clamor of chores finally cease, and she is drowning herself in the tub. (sizzle) You are ready now for bed, and you feel the tension in the air. Misguided, you display your foreplay by yawning loudly, and exclaiming your ready for bed now...honey.
You have no idea of the electrical storm that is growing, and drifting your way.
You can not live in the nest, and survive as you are doing. I'd stow that gear in the old Ford in the back yard, if you wish to make it much longer in the nest, or just whack a few 2x4's and some plywood together, and pronto. Good Lord man...watch yer back!
Anyway, that's just more reasons why I need to build a mixing station I can put out in my music room. I seriously had not remembered I had an extra table in storage until someone suggested I modify existing furniture. The table I have stored in the garage will not be a permanent solution, but it will probably work until I build my new mixing desk. At least I could move my gear off the kitchen countertop and that will increase the peace....
The limitations I have realized so far are that a 59\" long desk is just not long enough for all my gear. The tabletop gets crowed fast. I would really like both computer monitors side by side instead of one above the other. I just ran out of room and had to go vertical. I'm sure I'll think of more design changes I will need later as I use the table more. For now it's good enough to move my music gear out of the kitchen off the countertop and back into my music room where it belongs. That makes my wife happy. Also, I was able to make everything with the tabletop and wood I had laying around in the garage so my total expense for the mixing table itself so far is nothing. Since I am between jobs, that was a good use of what material I had.
Thanks for the help, guys. I had lots of fun looking at your suggestions and trying to incorporate some of those ideas into my design. In the end, I was pretty much stuck with what I could afford (not much), and what I had available for free out in the garage.
I am moving in a couple of weeks and the place we're moving into has very limited space. I need to totally rethink how I'm going to set up my gear so that i can have access without it taking up too much space. I'll either have to use a corner of the living room or possibly the master bedroom. The place doesn't have a garage or a spare room, so I fear things may get pretty cramped. Would love to see what you have done and maybe incorporate some of your ideas into my plan.